2012 Cobra Jet Officially Released Today – Details Inside!

In 2008, Ford Racing made a very special Mustang, the FR500CJ, or “Cobra Jet”. It was the 40th anniversary of the original Cobra Jet, and thus Ford brought out a limited production run of just 50 of these drag-ready race cars. Equipped with a supercharged 5.4 liter engine, roll cage, and plenty of other options, these Cobra Jets were hailed as the badass drag cars they were. The Cobra Jet returned in 2010, again as a limited run of just 50 cars.

After another year off, the Cobra Jet is back for 2012, and better than ever.

Ford has yet to break out the news about the 2012 Cobra Jet Mustang, but details have spread around the Internet like wildfire. It will be quite similar to previous iterations of the Cobra Jet, featuring in its base guise a supercharged 5.4 liter aluminum block V8 engine making 430 horsepower. Yes, the aluminum block, which was an optional feature on the 2010 Cobra Jet (pictured above, since we don’t have any pictures of the 2012 model), is now standard, and the engine will have different specifications from the 2008/2010 model. The engine now has a double-keyed crankshaft snout, Manley H-Beams, and improved low-drag racing brakes from Strange Engineering. Also new for 2012 will be the option to choose the color of your Cobra Jet, in either Grabber Blue, Race Red, or Winner White.

There are other new features as well, like a 2-step brake, new Goodyear drag radial tire compounds (branded with “Cobra Jet”), revised spring rates front and rear, and new black anodized wheels. Yet much has stayed the same as well. The 2012 Cobra Jet still has a similar beefed-up C4 transmission, 9” rear end, and an 8.50-second legal roll cage. This makes it ready to tackle any track straight from the factory, and like previous years there will be a special unveiling for owners of this special car.

The MSRP of the 2012 Cobra Jet is $91,990…not exactly a small sum. For an additional $1,995, you can get the optional graphics package. The real balers and shot callers will opt for the 4.0 liter supercharger package though. This $9,995 package comes with a 4.0 liter supercharger to be installed by the buyer, which boosts the engine to 500 horsepower. Ford claims that in this 3,200 pound chassis, that is good for mid-8’s in the quarter mile. We expect once the public catches wind, these cars won’t last even that long on the lot.

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FORD RACING ANNOUNCES 2012 COBRA JET MUSTANG

DEARBORN, Mich. – December 11, 2010 – Since its legendary introduction at the NHRA Winternationals in 1968, Ford’s Cobra Jet Mustang has created a legacy of power, performance and triumph that has carried through the decades.

In 2008, Ford Racing unveiled the 40th Anniversary Cobra Jet Mustang, which promptly lived up to the legend of the original version, duplicating the NHRA Winternationals victory in its inaugural race. The subsequent 2010 Cobra Jet, built on the 2010 Mustang platform, has been setting class records and is competitive at drag strips across the country.

Today, Ford Racing unveiled the 2012 Cobra Jet Mustang at the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) show in Orlando, Fla., and announced the intention to build fifty 50 turn-key 2012 CJ’s. For the first time the Cobra Jet will be available in three color options – Race Red, Grabber Blue and Winner White — and coordinated graphics.

“Ford Racing is proud to build the 2012 Cobra Jet and continue the tradition of delivering turn-key competitive race cars to Ford drag racing enthusiasts,” said George Goddu, Business Manager Ford Racing Performance Group. “With every Cobra Jet build we strive to carry the spirit of the original Cobra Jet while developing the next generation of drag racing icon. The enthusiast who races the 2012 Cobra Jet can be competitive at virtually any event, from their local track up through NHRA Stock or Super Stock classes.”

For decades, the Mustang has been the preeminent car in many forms of racing, including drag racing. The 2008 and 2010 Cobra Jet Mustang added to that legacy with high- profile wins at the NHRA Winternationals and U.S. Nationals, and by setting numerous Stock and Super Stock class records across the country.

The goal for the 2012 Cobra Jet is to build a turn-key race car ready to take its own place in NHRA history. Like its predecessors in 2008 and 2010 it’s a factory-built race car intended for NHRA Stock and Super Stock racing that can also be campaigned in other racing sanctioning bodies such as NMRA, NMCA, PSCA and IHRA. The 2012 CJ will come with all of the features of the 2010 car including a full race-prepared automatic transmission, drag race-specific shocks and springs, manual steering and brakes, 8.50 certified rollcage, and an Aeromotive return-style fuel system with trunk-mounted fuel cell.

For 2012, the Cobra Jet features a 5.4L supercharged engine based on the 2011 SVT Mustang with two supercharger options, a 2.3 liter TVS unit or a 4.0 liter Ford Racing Whipple supercharger. Each vehicle has an aluminum block engine, standard automatic transmission, double keyed crankshaft, Manley H-beam connecting rods, low-drag racing brakes and optimized spring rates for the front and rear. Additionally the Cobra Jet will feature black anodized Cobra Jet wheels from Weld Racing and a new compound tire with unique Cobra Jet branding from Goodyear.

Like Ford Racing’s Mustang FR500S and the 2010 Cobra Jet, this ready to race Mustang will get its start at the Auto Alliance International (AAI) assembly plant in Flat Rock, Mich. in the first quarter of 2011. The entire 50-car run of 2012 Cobra Jets will be built on the same production line that produces the 2012 Ford Mustang production car.

The MSRP for the M-FR500-CJ is $91,900 with a fully loaded Cobra Jet priced at $103,980.

For racers that want to build their own cars, there is a Mustang Competition Roller based on the Cobra Jet that is serialized and complete, minus the power train. The third option would be to start with a Mustang Body-In-White or a donor car since nearly all of the CJ components can be found in the Ford Performance Parts catalog found online at fordracingparts.com. The limited production 2012 Cobra Jet Mustang is available on a first come order, first delivered basis through Ford dealers.